Norfork Lake Fishing Report

The fish on Norfork Lake are transitioning to their normal summer pattern. Basically, I am saying the fish are going deeper and deeper and schooling.

Striped bass fishing has been good. I am finding stripers in the mid lake area down to the dam. I have been fishing with my nephew and we have been doing pretty good. We have caught stripers on live bait and by vertical jigging with a spoon. Most of the fish that I have found are in the old river channel 30 to 60 feet down suspended in 100 plus feet of water. I am fishing main lake points where the channel swings in and also deep water flats. You will need good electronics this time of year to mark the fish especially if you are vertical jigging. When I am vertical jigging I drop my spoon down to 30 feet and start to move around slowly with my trolling motor. I pull the spoon up a good 5 feet and let it free fall. If I mark fish deeper I drop the spoon down to their level, but be alert, as it is falling they suck it up so be ready to make a good hard hook set. When live bait fishing I have had the best luck with large gizzard shad. They still seem to want the bigger baits over the smaller ones. I have been setting my bait at 30 - 45 feet down and moving around slowly with my trolling motor.

Largemouth and spotted bass fishing has also been really good. I am finding these fish around 30 feet sunken brush piles, and main lake points in 20 - 30 feet of water. Early in the morning there still is some good top water action, so have your spook handy. Most of the top water fish have been small, but you can still get the occasional lunker. Crank baits that go about 10 feet down are working as are standard Texas rigged worms and jig & pigs worked slowly along the bottom.

Crappie are on the move, you can find a few on the 30 feet brush, but most are starting to migrate out to deeper water and suspend along deep bluff water ridges.

Catfishing has been good on rod & reel as well as jugs and trot lines. You can get them in about 20 feet or less of water. Live bait is working the best. Try minnows or nightcrawlers.

The Norfork lake water level is falling a couple of inches per day and is currently is at 556.3 which is almost normal pool. Generation is occurring most of the day, but seems to be slowing a little as the lake approaches normal pool. The surface water temperature cooled to 81 - 82 degrees with the cool front that came through the other day. Day time temps have been in the 80's and the night time temps have been dropping into the high 50's to low 60's. It has been great weather for sitting outside. Things will start warming up very soon. Creeks and coves are a little stained and the main lake is still very clear.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.